Joseph Parker facing ban after failing drug test on day of Wardley fight

Former satellite heavyweight boxing champion failed trial connected the time of his nonaccomplishment to Fabio Wardley, promoter says.

New Zealand’s erstwhile heavyweight satellite champion Joseph Parker failed a cause trial connected the time helium fought the United Kingdom’s Fabio Wardley past month, manager Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions has confirmed.

British media had antecedently reported that the 33-year-old had tested affirmative for traces of cocaine and could look a lengthy prohibition from the sport.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4‘Unfinished business’: All to cognize astir the Eubank Jr vs Benn rematch
• list 2 of 4Boxing: Jake Paul-Gervonta Davis combat disconnected aft Davis picked up lawsuit
• list 3 of 4Japan boxing to clasp exigency gathering pursuing fighters’ deaths
• list 4 of 4All French pistillate boxers retired of satellite championships implicit familial trial row

“The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) past nighttime informed each required parties that Joseph Parker returned an adverse uncovering pursuing an anti-doping trial conducted connected the 25th October successful narration to his bout with Fabio Wardley,” Queensberry said successful a connection connected Friday.

“While the substance is investigated further, nary further remark volition beryllium made astatine this time.”

Wardley stopped fight-favourite Parker successful the 11th circular astatine London’s O2 Arena successful the WBO “Interim” clash to gain the close to situation Ukraine’s undisputed satellite champion Oleksandr Usyk.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), which would determine the magnitude of immoderate ban, could not beryllium reached for remark connected the adjacent steps and the magnitude of immoderate imaginable ban.

The UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) would not comment, arsenic is its modular practice.

Parker has not yet commented connected his societal media channels.

British boxer Liam Cameron was banned for 4 years aft helium tested affirmative for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, successful 2018.

Parker won the WBO heavyweight rubric successful 2016 by defeating Mexican Andy Ruiz for the vacant belt. He mislaid the rubric to Anthony Joshua of the UK successful 2018.

He had held the WBO interim heavyweight rubric since March past twelvemonth aft defeating China’s Zhang Zhilei.